This application is a competitive renewal for our Child Health Research Career Development Award (CHRCDA), which has established a unique nexus of excellence for the enhancement of basic, translational, and clinical research training and career development in pediatrics. This long-standing career development program, designed to guide junior faculty during their transition to independent research careers in pediatric medicine, is now in its twentieth year at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), with this being our fourth renewal application. Our CHRCDA has supported 42 CHRCDA Scholars at our institution, many of whom have become national leaders in academic pediatrics. Collectively, our Scholars have published over 1,400 peer-reviewed publications and been awarded over $81 million in direct grant funding and 41 NIH R01 grants. The CCHMC CHRCDA Program synergizes with our other innovative, established programs for research training including the Procter Scholar Program and the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), especially its KL2 component, as well as with an array of NIH-funded research programs. In contrast to these programs, our CHRCDA Program specifically targets pediatricians and has the advantage of offering training and career development across a wide array of disciplines and specialties in basic, translational, and clinical research. Our CHRCDA Program identifies and recruits promising young pediatric faculty. A CCHMC physician scientist typically completes a 3- to 5-year track in research training and career development and is provided mentorship from 1 or more senior faculty. For our CHRCDA Scholars, generally 2 years of this track are funded by the CHRCDA, and the provided scientific guidance by our exceptional and highly committed CHRCDA primary faculty mentors is complemented by additional curricula, seminars, and resources. Specific aspects of the Program are customized based on the individual needs of the Scholar, especially their prior experiences and current competencies. The present CCHMC CHRCDA Program, under direction of the Principal Investigator, Program Director, and its Administrative Core, has drawn together established investigators with excellence in pediatric science and mentoring at CCHMC and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (UCCOM) to serve as primary mentors for the pediatric physician scientists during their transition to independence. The Program's Administrative Core identifies candidates, monitors the overall career development of our Scholars, and provides support for recruitment efforts at local and national levels, prioritizing Scholar recruitment from underrepresented groups. The CCHMC CHRCDA Program's combination of individual mentorship, advanced training, and research-conducive environment and resources (e.g. CCHMC Research Cores) is a needed and successful strategy to enhance the research productivity and independence of our pediatric physician scientists as they begin their academic careers in pediatric medicine. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The CCHMC CHRCDA Program seeks to enhance the professional development, research capability, and interest of young pediatric physician scientists who seek a full-time career in research with a major interest in pediatrics. The objective is to equip these young faculty who are just starting their careers in academic pediatrics with the skills necessary to succeed in meaningful, independent scientific careers in academic medicine. We aim to train the next generation of leaders in academic pediatrics.